The present invention relates to apparatuses and methods for the production of electromagnetic fields and for interrupting and controlling such fields, and to the production of such fields for generating electricity and providing energy to electric components of a vehicle.
It is well known in the art that any change in the magnetic environment of a coil of wire will cause a current to be induced in the coil. The change to the magnetic environment could be produced by changing the magnetic field strength, moving a magnet toward, away from, through, or around the coil, moving the coil into or out of the magnetic field, rotating the coil relative to the magnet, etc. Thus, by intentionally manipulating the magnetic field of a wire coil, i.e., the passing of a magnet through a wire coil (or vice versa), an electric current can be generated.
The prior art includes a flashlight that is powered by a magnet, which slides back and forth inside the flashlight handle. As it does so, it passes through a copper coil, thereby inducing a current in the coil's wire. This current is then stored inside a capacitor which in turn provides power to an LED (light emitting diode) or incandescent bulb.
The prior art has not, however, applied this technology to the automotive industry, and more specifically to provide all of or supplement the power available to a vehicle, whether operating the vehicle itself or running all or a portion of the electrical components of the vehicle. Nor has the prior art applied the technology more generally to any rotating device to capture otherwise wasted energy.
As used herein, the term “wheel” refers to any rotatable object, including but not limited to a car tire, truck tire, motorcycle tire, moped tire, ATV tire, or any other vehicle tire, bicycle tire, sprocket, or axle, as well as part of any other rotating or spinning device such as a windmill, fan, waterwheel, paddlewheel, propeller, pedal-driven wheels, and combinations thereof.
As used herein, the term “fluid” refers to any substance that is capable of flowing, whether a liquid, gas, slurry of liquids and solids, liquids and gasses, aerosols, and combinations of liquids, gasses, and solids.
As used herein, the term “biasing member” refers to any object or construction that slows down, accelerates, or stops the translatable magnet from maintaining its position within the electricity generating device. Examples of biasing members include flexible tubes, levers, springs (including star springs with a memory, sponges, geo springs), fluid pressure, pressure sensitive devices, electronic devices adapted to receive pressure input, one or more magnets, and combinations thereof.
As used herein, the term “repelling magnet” or “opposing magnet” means a magnet which counters centrifugal force.
As used herein, the term “magnet” shall refer to any material or object that produces a magnetic field, either natural or induced, examples of which include but are not limited to anistotropic sintered ceramic containing neodymium and boron (NeB) or neodymium, iron, and boron (NeFeB), a samarium-cobalt (SmCo) magnet, a sintered rare earth magnet, a sintered hard ferrite/ceramic bonded magnet, an alnico magnet (an Al/Ni/Co alloy), a ceramic magnet, flexible magnets, magnet assemblies, or any other magnet capable of generating a magnetic field.
As used herein, the terms “translate” and “translatable” shall refer to movement between two points, without angular displacement.
As used herein, the term “hub” shall refer to the central or center part of a wheel, around which other components of the wheel revolve, i.e., the point or points where the movable portion(s) of the device meet the non-movable portion(s).